Better Luck This Time
by E.Handy
Summary: First Fan Fic so please, please, please R&R!!!! This is when Harry and co. are grown up and their kids are at Hogwarts!! Main charecture is Cora, daughter of Ron and Hermione. Harry and Luna have twins, Harry and Lilly. Also the son of Draco is here too!
1. The Hogwarts Express

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Harry Potter Books. All credit goes to J.K. Rowling!  
  
Cora looked out the window at the scenery that flashed by her window. She still couldn't believe where she was going. Her stomach twisted as the door to her compartment slid open. A boy, who looked her age, peered in. Cora backed against the window hoping he would go away. He didn't. On the contrary he continued in and took a seat across from her. He rummaged through his bag a moment before turning to face her. She went red. He smiled reassuringly. "First year?" he asked her politely. She nodded carefully. "Y-yes." The boy smiled again. Cora relaxed. He didn't seem so bad. He actually reminded her of her older brother, Derek.  
  
***  
  
She smiled back at him, hoping she didn't look silly. He returned to rummaging through his bag as he continued to talk to her. "This is my first year too. My whole family's been though. I've been waiting to go ever since I was a little kid. How about you?" Cora was speechless. She didn't even know the boy and here he was going into what seemed like a life story. He resurfaced again, this time holding a minute owl in his hand. He seemed to read the look on her face because he introduced himself. "My name's Dustin. This," he said holding out his owl, "is Cricket." Cora reached out tentatively to stroke the feathery bird. She gestured to her own cage sitting covered on the floor of the train. "That's my owl, Harry. I named him after my Dad's best friend, Harry Potter." Dustin nearly fell out of his seat. "Your dad's best friend is Harry Potter?" Cora smiled shyly. "They've been friends since their first year a Hogwarts." Dustin just stared at her for a moment. "So, you're a pure blood then." Cora nodded. "Yes, my mother's relatives are muggles, but my dad's side is all wizards." Dustin nodded knowingly. "My parents went here too. They knew Harry Potter. After school though they lost contact with him and his friends. So who are your parents?" Cora shrugged carelessly. "If your parents were friends with Harry they probably knew them. They were a trio at Hogwarts." All of a sudden Dustin smiled.  
  
***  
  
"You must be Ron Weasley's daughter then. I've heard plenty about your dad. That would mean your mum's Hermione Granger then wouldn't it?" She nodded and turned back to the window. She wasn't sure she liked this boy knowing so much about them. The compartment door opened again and Cora heard footsteps enter the cabin. She turned around again upon hearing her name. "Hi Cora!" called a pair of twins in the doorway. She smiled at the sight of them. There was a dark brown-haired boy and a dirty-blonde haired girl. They looked nothing alike but they were twins all the same. "Hey guys. That's Dustin-" She broke off hoping he'd fill in with his last name but he just smiled and waved. The twins sat down in the seat in front of him. "Hi. We're Harry and Lily Potter." Dustin didn't look at all surprised. He just smiled. "My parents knew your dad pretty well. Cora's too." The twins looked surprised. "Were they friends?" Dustin didn't answer. The reason, Cora assumed, was that her older brother Derek just entered the cabin. "Hey guys," he greeted nodding at the twins. "Oh and hey Shrimp," he muttered addressing Cora. He didn't seem to notice Dustin. "Mom said I had to check up on you, so if you alive I'll go back to were I belong now." Cora stuck out her tongue, hoping that was a good enough sign that she was alive. It must've been, because Derek left. Cora turned her attention back to the window. They were silent, each absorbed in their own thoughts until the witch came with the food cart. "Do you want any thing Cora?" Dustin asked heading towards the witch. She didn't answer. He must've taken that for a yes however because he returned with an armful of food. "I thought you might want something. We're almost there."  
  
***  
  
He dumped a few snacks on the empty space next to her and returned to his seat. Drawn by the wonderful smell her pile was giving off she turned around. The twins had been waiting. "You all right Cora? You're being awful quiet." She shrugged then nodded. "Yeah just thinking." Dustin nodded. "About what house you're going to be in? So have I." Cora was about to tell him that she wasn't thinking of that at all when he continued. "You'll probably be in Gryfindor." Cora nodded. "How about you? What house do you think you'll be in?" He didn't answer though and hastily shoved his mouth full of pasties. The twins pulled their black robes out of their chests and hastily pulled them on. Cora and Dustin did the same. Cora noticed that he still hadn't answered her question but she threw the fact aside, not wanting another thing to think about. The train began to slow down and the four swept their food into their trunks closing the lids behind. It stopped completely just as Cora finished latching her trunk. Lilly, Harry, and Dustin left dragging their trunks behind them. Cora was just about to go after them when her trunk stopped moving. She pulled harder but it was stuck good. She released the handle and ran out into the empty train. A lone prefect was striding towards her. "You there!" the prefect called out to her. "Why are you still on the train?" Cora flushed. She hated it when she did something wrong and was singled out. "It's my trunk," she said breathlessly. "It's gotten stuck."  
  
***  
  
The prefect shoved by her into her compartment looking extremely annoyed. He came out again with her trunk. "It wasn't stuck. It's just heavy. I'll take care of this, you just hurry up and get to boas." She nodded and ran off as quickly as she could. Dustin and the twins were waiting by the lake with a boat. "Where were you?" Lilly asked exasperated. Cora shook her head. "Let's just go." Lilly shrugged and ushered herself in to the boat. Cora and the boys slid in after her. 


	2. A Malfoy?

Cora, Dustin, Lilly, and Harry entered the entrance room not to long after the other first years. As she looked at the other nervous first years Cora felt glad that she had friends beside her. A reasonably young blonde woman in maroonish robes entered the room. "First years will need to follow me into the grand hall to be sorted into their houses," she shouted above the voices in the hall. Many of the kids shifted uncomfortably, hesitating to follow. Dustin was one of them. "Oh, come on Dustin. What's the worst that could happen? Besides getting put into to Slytherine I mean." He winced but followed her into the hall anyways. Lilly elbowed her as they entered the hall and pointed at the starry ceiling. "That is so cool!" she whispered loudly. Cora nodded. She didn't feel as brave anymore now that the hat was in view. Dustin looked as though he was about to be violently sick. The hat's brim opened wide and began its song. Cora didn't pay attention. Dustin tugged on her robe. "Hey Cora," he asked looking more sick then before. "We're friends, right?" She nodded suspiciously. "So no matter what happens. No matter what you find out about me, we'll be friends, right." She nodded but not right away.  
  
"Why?" He shook his head as the song ended. "Appleby, Victoria," the blonde woman called and a stout red head hurried to the chair. "Ravenclaw!" the hat screeched. The table nearest her erupted into cheers and she waddled over to sit down. Cora looked around anxiously as more names were called. "Little, Zachary!" the woman yelled as Cora snapped back to attention. The hat seemed to think for a minute before yelling, "Slytherine!" Cora glared as the boy smirked and went to the farthest table.  
  
***  
  
Then, "Malfoy, Dustin!" the woman yelled. Cora's stomach lurched. So many people hated the Malfoy's. She knew that they had a son but, "Dustin," she said desperately. "Please tell me that's not you! Please!" She had really started to like him but if he was a Malfoy there was no way her father would want her to be friends with him. Dustin just bowed his head and headed up front, dirty looks following him. His grandfather and father had been a death eater. Everyone knew that since the fall of Lord Voldemort. But his grandfather died ages ago and his father and been tried and found guilt meaning that he had been in Azkaban since a few years after Cora was born. She glanced at Lilly and Harry. They were looking at Dustin with so much hate. But how could Cora blame them. His father had been their father's main enemy at school. Afterwards he had tried to kill him for Lord Voldemort as a final deed. Failing however he had turned himself in. Only now did Cora realize what he had left behind. A son.  
  
***  
  
Dustin pulled the hat over his eyes not wanting the looks of his fellow wizards. Please sorting hat, he said close to tears. Put me in Gryfindor. I'm not like the rest of my family, honest! He longed to be as different from his father as was possible. The hat seemed to chuckle before screaming, "Gryfindor!" 


	3. I'll be your Friend

Murmurs and gasps echoed through out the hall. Everyone was thinking the same thing. A Malfoy in Slytherine! No way! A few cheers came and Dustin settled himself down next to the Gryfindor ghost, Nearly Headed Nick. He looked expectantly at Cora. She looked back but didn't smile. "I'll explain later," he mouthed at her. She looked at the twins who were now being sorted. "Gryfindor!" the hat yelled for both of them. They sat down at the table as far away from Dustin as they could. Only a few people were left when Cora's name was called. "Weasley, Cora!" the woman practically sang. She walked forward quickly and jammed the hat on her head. She tried to think of Gryfindor as hard as she could but Dustin kept popping into her head. "Ahh," the hat breathed. "Worried about him are ya? Well then, I know the perfect house for you.Gryfindor!"  
  
***  
  
Cora felt relief wash over her like a tidal wave. She saw Lilly and Harry applauding loudly. She ran over to them. "I gotta go sit with Dustin you guys. Please don't be mad." She said this all very fast and hurried over to where Dustin was sitting, isolated, at the end of the table. Even Nearly Headless Nick had abandoned him. "Ok," Cora said sitting down. "Explain." Dustin took a deep breath. "Well I said that my dad knew yours, I wasn't lying about that. I never told you my last name cause I knew that if I did you'd act just like your friends over there." He jerked his head in the twins' direction. "See how quickly their feelings toward me changed when they found out who I was!? Even you've changed when only a minute ago you said that we'd be friends no matter what." Cora exploded not caring who heard her yell. "THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS YOU! YOUR DAD TRIED TO KILL THEIR PARENTS! BLOODY HELL DUSTIN! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES MY MUM AND DAD WARNED ME ABOUT YOUR FAMILY!" "Please Cora, settle down. Don't you get it? I'm nothing like my dad or my grandfather. Do you think I'm proud to have a family that's known for helping the Dark Lord become strong again!? Do you think I'm proud to have a father who's in jail for murdering three people including my mom!? Cora I would have any other family but mine. I don't act like them, I dyed my hair black so that I wouldn't look like them, and I would change my name so as to not have the same name as them. As far as I'm concerned the orphanage were I stay, which is a muggle one, is the only home I've ever had. Please Cora. I'm not asking you to like my family; I'm asking you to like me. You are the only friend I've ever gotten far enough with to tell that I hate who I am. Please don't walk out on me now." The whole table was watching them now, waiting for Cora's reply. Up front however the blonde woman was calling for everyone's attention. The headmaster, Professor Mcgonagal, was standing up.  
  
*** "Welcome back, welcome back," she said with a warm smile. Cora looked strait at her pretending to be interested when she was, in fact, not hearing a single word. "Dustin," she said out of the corner of her mouth. "I just, can't" She buried her head in her arms, which were crossed in front of her. Throughout the rest of Mcgonagal's speech Dustin made halfhearted attempts to talk to Cora. She ignored him every time. "That being said," he heard the headmaster say. "Let us eat." The plates in front of them filled and only when Dustin piled food in front of her did Cora look up. She had to admit; he was nothing like his father. She turned to him and watched as he shoved food into his mouth. She knew she liked him. She had since the train ride. He was different from other boys. He really listened when she talked and he wasn't near as immature as Harry was. She sighed and tapped him on the shoulder. The least she could do was give the boy a chance.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, Dustin?" she ventured slowly. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. That was pretty childish. You didn't do anything wrong." Dustin had stopped eating to listen to her. She continued. "I guess you are different from your family even though you share the same blood and well." she held out her hand jovially and smiled. "Friends?" Dustin grabbed it. "Of course." 


	4. To Forgive is Divine

Cora lay in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Neither Harry nor Lily had spoken to her since dinner. She couldn't blame them though. Sighing she rolled onto her side and pulled the blankets up over her head. She'd try and talk to them in the morning. Now was time for sleep.  
  
***  
  
When Cora woke up in the morning Lilly wasn't in her bed. Thinking she might've gone to the common room, Cora got dressed and went to find her. Sure enough both Harry and Lilly were talking in hushed voices to one another. Cora inched towards them hoping to get a bit of their conversation. "Well we could write to Father. He'll take care of it." Lilly shook her head. "Nah. He'll be too noble about it. There's got to be some other way to get-" Harry cut her off and turned to Cora. "Eavesdropping eh?" he sneered. "No doubt learned that charming quality from your friend." Cora easily got the sarcasm and spat back, "Well I see you just and amiable as he is. Planning to get him expelled. How could you?! You were friends with him too!" She turned and pushed her way out of the portrait hole then ran towards the Grand Hall. Poor Dustin, she thought sympathetically. How many people looked at him with the same point of view as Harry and Lilly. Suddenly she understood why he needed her so much. She must be his only friend.  
  
***  
  
Not to her surprise Dustin was sitting alone at the Gryfindor table when she arrived. Cora took a seat next to him and grabbed a slice of toast. Dustin's face lit up considerably when he caught sight of her. "Hey Cora. Here's your schedule." He handed her a sheet chalky white paper." "Luckily the only class we have with the Slytherines," he added, "is Defense Against the Dark Arts. Unfortunately the Gryfindors are in every class." Cora felt guilty. She knew that it was her friends giving him a hard time. "Look Dustin. They'll forget about it in no time at all. You'll see." Dustin looked doubtful but didn't say anything. It was then she realized that he really trusted her. She tried to think what her mom would say. "Dustin!" she said turning to him excitedly. "My mom would so understand this! Can I write to her about it?" He looked at his plate but nodded.  
  
***  
  
Just then the post arrived. Harry, the owl, glided over Cora's head and landed smoothly on her shoulder. She detached the letter from his outstretched leg and read it hurriedly.  
"Who's it from?" asked Dustin peering over her shoulder. Cora laughed and handed him the letter. "You can read it. It's just a list of books she says I should read from the library." Dustin studied it seriously the glanced at the full end of the table.  
"Maybe I should keep this," he sighed. "I have a felling I'll be spending a lot of time in there."  
  
***WOO-HOO! Someone reviewed! Someone reviewed! (Thanks sooo much Lady Lorene!!) NEWAYS since someone reviewed I've decided to keep going. I updated and will have much more as soon as I get an idea, which will be when I'm bored, which will be tonight, so updates soon. PLEASE REVIEW!! 


	5. Still Alone

As Halloween rolled around Dustin was still all by himself with the exception of Cora. Strangely, he didn't seem to mind having only her as a friend. Despite the fact that she was the daughter of the famous Ron Weasly and Hermione Granger, Cora was finding it equally as hard to make friends. She sat with Dustin in the common room late into the night talking about all sorts of things. Much to her surprise, Cora felt happier then she had in her entire life. As much as she hated to believe it, Harry and Lilly weren't her true friends, they were just some kids she had always been with. For the first time, she realized what it was like to have a confident. She felt like she could tell Dustin anything. Dustin seemed to feel the same about her. He told her every secret of his family. Cora began to see how hard life really was for him. No friends, no family, nothing.  
  
***  
  
On the day before Halloween was a trip to Hogsmede. Cora was excited. This was the first year that every year was allowed to go.  
Oh Dustin," she said dreamily. "This'll be so fun!" He didn't look up or answer her. "What's wrong?" she asked her excitement gone. Dustin handed her a blank parental form. "No signature, can't go." He grunted. Cora flopped next to him on the couch and stretched. The two sat there quietly for a long time. By the time Cora spoke again the common room was nearly empty.  
"I'll stay behind," she paused, "for you." Dustin looked gratefully up at her. He couldn't believe she'd stay behind for him. She had talked non-stop for weeks about it. "Really?" Cora reached over and gave him a hug. "Of course, Dustin. What kinda friend do you think I am?" With that she flounced off to her dormitory leaving him staring after her. It was at that moment that Dustin Malfoy fell in love with Cora Weasley.  
  
***Sorry so short but the point of this chapter came quicker then expected. Please review!!!!!! *falls on knees and begs* I'll hypnotize you all!!!! (**************) watch pretty stars.review!!!!! 


End file.
